Man on the street

“What are the best job and the worst jobs you have ever had?”

Varun Rhambhala, junior,… “What are the best job and the worst jobs you have ever had?”

Varun Rhambhala, junior, business and biology Best: “Volunteering in UPMC hospital and helping patients. It was a good, friendly environment.” Worst: “Working customer service at Best Buy was terrible. The customers give you no respect and they don’t realize I was there to help them.”

Meghan Rha, sophomore, biology Best: “Helping at a nursing home was great. I decorated and made senior citizens feel appreciated.” Worst: “Working retail was a strenuous experience. The store I worked at had a strict anti-theft policy. I had to follow customers around who my boss thought might be stealing. This made me and the customers feel uncomfortable.”

Eric Gottesman, freshman, communications Best: “I was an ocean lifeguard in Long Island, N.Y. There was a lot of action, and I got to participate in rescues, sometimes multiple times a day.” Worst: “I’ve never had a bad job, but I didn’t like dealing with all the drama when I was a camp counselor.”

Adam Cole, freshman, rehabilitation science Best: “I enjoyed working at a day camp over the summer because I love working with kids.” Worst: “I worked at a deli for a day – that was pretty bad. Surprisingly, I didn’t get fired, I quit.”

Emily Graham, freshman, exercise science Best: “Working at a video rental store. It was a fun job because I got to watch videos, read magazines and eat popcorn. Also, I enjoyed the people I worked with, and I had good hours.” Worst: “Babysitting once at a house in the middle of nowhere with bears in the backyard. Plus, the baby cried the whole time and I had no cell phone service to call the parents. And on top of it all, they didn’t pay well! I never watched their kids again.”

Jenna Landau, freshman, psychology Best: “Promoting for a landscaping business. I wore a T-shirt, ate free food and passed out fliers.” Worst: “An after-school program for fifth and sixth graders. The boss was mean to me. He refused to give me a ride when the program was done at 6 p.m. I was stranded there till 10 p.m.!”

Jason Zlotnicki, sophomore, biology Best: “Working at a radiology clinic, I got a chance to work side-by-side with professional radiologists. I interacted with patients and gained some meaningful experience.” Worst: “Something I appreciate but can’t do was working for a construction company over the summer. Admiration is the key word here. These guys are in bed by 8 p.m. and up before 6 a.m. The energy, hard work and conditioning is unbelievable. And they are intelligent; there is no room for error because you cannot waste resources. “